Codeword: REAPER
by AgeOfAdri
Summary: Toshitomo Daichi knew he wanted to be a hero. There was no doubt. But now, there was the question of what kind of hero he would be, and who'd he become. Toshitomo Daichi is a kind-hearted boy with a merciless quirk that leaves no room for mistake. Can he make his dreams come true and join the ranks of the U.A's greatest heroes? Or will he fall to ashes?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

 **Before I begin, I want to warn the readers that since I'm not a Japanese citizen nor am I largely familiar with the customs of Japanese culture, so this story will be largely Americanized. And I mean that in a sense of language. Minus the use of surnames instead of first names, in most formal cases, things will be Americanized. The plot and location will still stick to canon, but for situations where -san or -senpai would be more appropriately used, you won't see that (unless I do more in-depth research and feel absolutely confident when using them). This is to avoid any butchering. I tried with a Naruto story a long, long time ago, and it didn't work out well. Besides that, I hope you enjoy the first chapter.**

 **I do not own any of the characters that belong to the original Boku No Hero Academia story. This is a fan-work. Thank you.**

Chapter 1:

Most days, Daichi's alarm clock never woke him up. Sometimes it'd be his empty, growling stomach after forgetting to eat dinner the night before, usually from late-running club meetings. Sometimes it'd be his nerves, that'd keep him jittery for hours, finally waiting for his next dojo tournament. Most of the time though, it'd be Deji, his older brother, getting up at the crack of dawn to go jogging around the block. It was a bittersweet tradition since Daichi **despised** jogging, but he loved his adopted older brother. And as the days till Deji went away to police academy grew smaller, Daichi hated the tradition less and less.

And now that it'd be five months since Deji left home to join the academy, Daichi couldn't blame his early rising on his brother. This time, it was pure, unadulterated fear. The U.A. Entrance Exam was today.

 _Beep, beep, beep._

The alarm clock next to the occupied bunk-bed rang from the nightstand. Laying on his back, under his thick gray fleece blanket, with his middle school logo hazardly printed across, Daichi reached over his head and tapped the Snooze button on the top of the alarm before returning to his previous state.

Daichi wanted to be a hero. He knew it'd be difficult, he knew his Quirk wouldn't make it easy. And he knew most applicants didn't even make it to graduation at the U.A., but as much as Daichi feared the rejection, he feared the idea of letting life pass him by without as much as trying. If he couldn't become a hero, at least he could move on with the knowledge that he gave it his all.

No matter what happened today, Daichi could sleep knowing he tried.

And with that, Daichi pulled himself up and set his feet to the ground, below him were the U.A. Prepatory papers he forgot to put away before falling asleep. The first thing Daichi saw on the paper – 2% ACCEPTANCE RATE, CIRCA 2015.

Daichi felt his stomach turn sharply. And for the millionth time this month, Daichi wondered if Deji could get him a spot in the local high school police academy program.

[Break]

"Look who finally got out of bed!" Daichi heard from the kitchen, as he shut the door behind him and pulled his book-bag onto lean but toned shoulders. Standing in the kitchen, organizing several plates of food was his adopted Mom, with her long black hair pulled into a bun and a sun-shattering smile. Behind him was his step-father, preparing what looked like another stack of pancakes.

Daichi shot a weak smile, as he approached the kitchen counter and took one of four seats available. Scooting a hot, filled plate in front of him, Mom moved forward and planted a kiss to his forehead before combing through shoulder-length, mop of midnight blue hair on his head with pinched brows. "You should've cut this for today, you know you look so nice with short hair,"

"But I said I'd cut it if I got in," Daichi interjected as he piled some fruit on top of his pancake before tearing it apart. His mother muttered weakly, still attempting to pull away the wavy curls hanging in front of his equally dark-blue eyes, before finding some peace in its current position and moving back towards his husband, who delivered a fresh batch of pancakes.

"You know it's only us eating right?"

"You know I nervous eat, Dai!" His father sprouted nervously, with a heavy sweat-drop, before his mother rubbed his back soothingly, shooting Daichi a comforting smile. "You'll do great, he just doesn't like not being there for your big days."

"They should at least televise it!"

"But then everyone in the world would know about upcoming heroes, and that'd ruin the whole point of the U.A.,"

"Still!"

The obvious support of his parents made Daichi laugh, the tension easing a bit as he dug into his meal. They knew this day would come as soon as Daichi took the dive, several months earlier, and applied for the U.A. instead of the Police Academy, like he'd been debating all year. He, like the rest of his family, were helpers. They believed in justice like they breathed air, and Daichi knew without a doubt he wanted to be an agent of the good. His Quirk didn't make it easy either.

The rest of the breakfast went as smoothly as it could. Dad never really stopped making food, despite the growing protest of his mother but it was all in good fun. Before Daichi knew it, his parents were sending him off to the nearby bus stop, with wishes of good luck and faith, but that kept Daichi afloat. As he stood at the lightly crowded bus stop in his plain black track pants and a newer, but simple long-sleeve red athletic shirt, the navy haired boy could only hope it got easier from here. But he knew it wouldn't.

Paying his fare and making his way to the riser seats, Daichi took a window seat and sat his bag on the floor, in case his neighbor needed room, before looking out to the window and watching the older, faded apartment buildings be replaced with sleeker, taller skyscrapers. They were heading into the city, home of the heroes. Home of the U.A.

His stop was near the end of the route, so he knew he had time to get his nerves together. But it wouldn't make much of a difference. He came to the same problem he did every time he thought about the U.A. How could he get in without using his Quirk? It had been legally prohibited since he triggered back in elementary school.

And he understood why, it was a life-threatening. It offered no mercy, no chance of recovery. A fatal, one-time complete disintegration. Something he had no control over. He wouldn't fight with the law when it came to restrict his powers. So, instead, he took up martial arts. It became a part of him, in every aspect. His dojo felt like a second home. At first, it was a hobby, something to occupy the hours where Mom and Dad were off working in the administrative hero departments – managing hero PR & agent contracts – but soon enough, he didn't care about the belts or badges. It taught him self-control, self-confidence. His body was a tool, he just had to learn how to use it correctly.

It changed everything for him. He was a simple kid, maybe a bit shyer then he should've been especially with his quirk, but the dojo gave him a push. Made him certain in himself. Initially that translated to pursuing his interest, no matter how fickle. So, he joined his local Robotics club, any sports held at his school. That gave him friends, made him approachable, carved an athletic build out of him. But soon enough, martial arts gave him to push to still help others. Whether that was being a hero or being a police officer, either way, he would be a tool of justice. It's what he was made to do.

As the bus slowed to a crawl at his incoming stop, where the tall walls of the U.A. entrance towered even miles away, Daichi could only pray his instinct hadn't led him astray. With a quick thank-you to the bus driver, Daichi stepped off and quickly began making his way towards the U.A. entrance.

At first, Daichi was the only one heading that direction, but soon, slowly, a crowd began to form around him. It was filled with athletes, loners, tall-looming figures, tiny-undiscernible types. It was more diverse than any Daichi had seen in his niche. Maybe it was a little intimidating, but he didn't take it to heart. Diversity meant growth, that meant the U.A. was doing something right. And they all worked to get there, they deserved to be here as much as he did with.

With a small nod, more to himself than anything, Daichi pushed forward. Soon enough, the walls were in front of him, and Daichi stood beneath the thick U.A. letter banner. As the crowd began to pile forward, the gates began to open, with a few volunteers guiding students forward. Following the crowd, Daichi took a moment to gaze around the famous school, in awe of its seemingly pristine-white halls with no sign of disarray or mess. He expected no less from the home of Japan's best heroes.

Soon enough, the crowd was moved into a large auditorium, where Daichi found himself near the back, in an assigned seating. The room continued to fill, the chatter gradually rising as friends found each other and enemies denounced each other in the same breath. As far as Daichi knew, he was the only one from his school to apply, though to be fair, he didn't spread the news far beyond his dojo or at the least, the Robotics club, who had been witness to him signing the sheet. But they were all clothes friends from his childhood and known of them decided to attend. So, he was alone thus far.

Daichi watched as the curtain covering the stage ruffled lightly, several sneakers floating in and out of sight at the bottom, before suddenly a loud snap bounced through the room and curtains drew back to reveal –

"WHAAAAAT'S UP" The loud, Present Mic roared from the stage, finger-guns pointed to the crowd. Every student fell silent as they turned their attention to Present Mic, Daichi did the same. Present Mic snickered, clearly satisfied at the immediate attention before a white screen appeared behind him, and he began the introduction speech.

Without much pleasantries, the U.A. began to explain the upcoming entrance exam. Daichi had read a bit about it online, so he wasn't surprised when he heard of the dual practical & written exam. As Present Mic explained the point system behind the robots in the Practical Exam, Daichi made a note to focus on the smaller, more attainable targets. Gathering those while others focused on larger ones could give him an advantage that not using his Quirk took away.

Those sitting around him ranged in reactions. Some were practically vibrating in their chair – one ecstatic blonde guy literally was, some were more subdued, planning like Daichi. Again, this was only to be expected. With all the information out in the open, Present Mic sent them on their way to change. Daichi walked past the locker room and straight towards the buses since he was already in gear. All he needed was mobility, he didn't own anything fancier so.

The bus ride was quicker than Daichi anticipated, but he knew it easily could've been a days-worth of travel and he still wouldn't have noticed by how deeply he was in his thoughts. By the time they reached the arena gates, Daichi felt warm all over. Adrenaline, anticipation, anxiety. Dread. Fear. But, as he stood near the front of the crowd, he refused to let himself focus on anything but just yet – _focus._

Daichi watched as Present Mic appeared in front of the crowd, as the arena door opened behind him. Then without a countdown, Present Mic initiated the battle – "heroes don't have countdowns in real life".

[Break]

Daichi didn't wait to take off into the arena. Ignoring the loud ring and crash of other students around him, Daichi focused on a small wondering robot in the far distance of the street.

Thanking Deji for constantly forcing him to run every day, as he felt his lungs expand with every foot-fall. A comfortable pace. Just what he needed. As he gained on the robot, Daichi angled him to kick off an adjacent building corner before angling himself off the building and straight into the robot's chest feet first. The inertia of the jump sent the robot straight to the crowd, with a loud clatter to his body.

Daichi shook off the sting of the kick before turning left to head down the next road. Several students fought ahead. Daichi watched as a girl spewed aside onto a larger robot, causing a mid-size piece of its foot to fall out. Daichi slowed down a fraction of a second to pick up the piece of robot before adjusting to its weight and continuing his run.

Armed with a weapon, Daichi pushed forward. It'd be quite a few before he felt the burn, so he'd make the most of it. Daichi spotted another small robot coming out of an alley right ahead of up. Swinging the robot leg up, Daichi brought it down on the small robot's head.

The robot fell, but it wasn't destroyed. Standing between the alley and the robot, Daichi did a quick scan, more instinct than anything, when he spotted a tall guy on the other end. His head was a jagged, sharp shape, his skin looked more rock than human skin. But the boy stood under a larger robot – it didn't look like he had a way out. He quickly looked between the boy and the robot pulling itself up, before throwing the robot leg directly at the robot before taking off down the alley to the boy.

The larger robot was kneeling itself down, its large red eye looking the boy directly in the eyes as it raised its left arm to swing down. Making it out of the alley, now only a few feet away from the robot, Daichi bit back a grunt as he leaped across the distance and threw himself shoulder first into the robot's head.

The robot toppled over, as Daichi fell past it, further down the street. The rock-boy looked at Daichi, eyes wide, before looking back to the robot, before moving past it to offer a hand to him. Daichi gave a grateful smile as he rose to his feet. "Thank you, I hope I didn't get in the way," Daichi offered, and the boy quickly shook his head, but no response. Daichi nodded, rubbing his shoulder, as he looked back to the robot, which now had a dent on the side of its head. The fall shattered its eyes, but it was still moving.

"Wanna work together?" The navy-haired boy asked with a nod towards the fallen beast. "With both of our weights, we can crush his head, they could split the points."

The rock-boy quickly nodded, and together they jogged back. Daichi reached to put his foot out, but the other boy hesitated. "It's okay, it won't hurt you," Daichi offered, remembering what his friends would tell him back when he was more reserved, less certain.

The boy nodded and in sync, they slammed their heels into the damaged head of the robot, causing it to stop moving altogether. Daichi shot the boy a bright smile before reaching his left hand out – ignoring the slight protest from his shoulder. "I'm Daichi, thanks for your help." The boy took his hand and shook it and nodded. Daichi shook his hand, and before offering they continue together, the crowd began to shake.

Soon the street below them was cracked and from what Daichi could see, so were the buildings. Then he saw it – the largest robot of all. Nearly a sky-scraper at it's height, Daichi didn't see how he could stop it.

He compared it to a natural disaster. Something out of his hands, but he could help the victims. Move people out. Maybe leave this to something like All Might – even though, in this hypothetical, All Might can't stop a hurricane. Well to be fair, he's never tried. And he probably could if he did.

Daichi looked back to see a mainly clear road, away from the robot. It was better than trying to move past it, even if this road could be the huge robot's next landing pad. "We've gotta go! Let's see if anyone is trapped!"

The boy looked to Daichi, a sweat-drop forming for a moment before he nodded. He was nervous, shaky even, but willing. Daichi couldn't ask for anything more. With one last reassuring nod, they ran back down the street and began to scan for those who trapped or needed help. Spotting no one down the street, they turned right – still heading away from the large robot – and continued searching. It was as they found two students semi-buried under large concrete slabs that the ground shook again, except this time, it was the sky-scraper robot falling. Holding one of the two contestants under the rock slabs – a nice guy named Ysu with slimy webbed hands and thick green hair, but sweet nonetheless and grateful for the help – Daichi watched with wide eyes as he spotted a small, green-haired boy recoil from a blast to the sky-scrapers face. He was free-falling. He'd die on impact.

Daichi looked to the boy on his shoulder, falling in out of consciousness and the boy falling almost two streets over and momentarily wondered if he could do both at the same time. If his body would let him – he had to try.

Daichi began to jog forward when the rock-boy grabbed his shoulder and pointed up. The green-haired boy was levitating now, slowly descending back to the ground, before disappearing from view. Daichi took a small breath of relief, but still wanted to check on the boy, before loud horns rang through the air. The exam was finished, it was time for the written exam.

[Break]

After dropping Ysu with the friendly nurse waiting at the bus stop, Daichi took the ride back to the school to stretch out his shoulder, before he tried calculating his points. The first robot he took out was one point. The one he and the boy had taken down were two points. That left him with two points **total.** Oof.

It was a bit of a sad revelation, but there was still a whole other half of a test to take. He couldn't give up now.

After a quick locker visit, that left his shaggy blue hair wet against his shoulders, Dai found his seat and organized himself, just as Present Mic returned and began the standard testing procedures. Oddly enough, this portion was less strenuous than the Practical Exam. It felt more simplistic, more humane. It wasn't math or science related, it was about his own thinking cycle and his reaction to both traumatic and seemingly simple systems.

He spent years day-dreaming about his work as a public servant, both caped and not. Whenever Deji fell asleep in the top bunk, while studying, Dai would crawl up and burn through his textbook and homework. Deji would wake up and his homework would be done – with Daichi's then poor handwriting – and Deji would freak.

This felt no different. Daichi took that as a good thing.

Before long, the exam was finished and Daichi was sent off with the knowledge that if he were accepted, he'd get a letter in the mail in about two weeks, if he wasn't, he would also get a letter of rejection. Either way, he'd have a definite answer soon. That was enough for the navy-haired boy. Maybe it was in poor tastes of himself, but tonight he'd get started on next year's police academy application. At least he'll have plenty of time for the essay question – it was the same one every year. Deji confirmed it.

As his bus rolled up to Dai's spot, he took a moment to look back at U.A. He loved it. He really did. He wanted to get accepted with every fiber in his body. He wanted to make his adopted parents proud, his birth mother proud, even his unknown father proud. He wanted to work alongside Deji as a hero one day.

Even if he never used his quirk, it'd be an honor to step foot back in that school. It'd be an honor to die by it too.

But even dreamers had to wait for dreams to come true. So Toshitomo Daichi stepped back onto the bus and soon the U.A. was gone. Back in his daydreams, once more.

 **Author's Note:**

 **I don't have a beta reader, so I apologize for any major spelling errors.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

 **Thank you so much for your enthusiastic response, folks. It's really empowering. I haven't written for for years, and it's nice to know my work can still be appreciated. On to the story.**

Chapter 2:

 _Foot sweep,_

 _Strike,_

 _Turning duck,_

 _Foot sweep,_

 _Strike,_

The methodic slap of wood against leather filled the silent dojo, as Daichi stood before the large, aged punching bag before him. Donning an old, tattered pair of sweats and a loose black wife-beater, Daichi hardly noticed the gust of air coming from the entrance behind him, accompanied by light humming and the jingling of keys.

 _Strike,_

 _Foot sweep,_

 _Strike,_

 _Staff hold turn,_

 _Foot stance,_

 _Strike,_

 _Strike,_

 _Strike_

"Daichi, when was the last time you took a break from the staff?" Meito-sensei called out warily, holding a small bag of groceries, as he appeared in Daichi's corner vision. Coming to a pause, the sweet taste of cool air soothed Daichi's burning lungs, before he rose to full posture and held the staff behind him respectfully. "I haven't, sensei. I feel like I can't breathe when I don't,"

It'd been a week since the practical exam and all Daichi could feel, despite his optimistic departure, was disappointment. He earned himself two points. After years of martial arts training, racks and racks of belts, and far too many bruises to count – including the one forming across his palms from the constant battery of the hard, leather bag – he had only gotten two. Not only wasn't it too little for him to even make a mark at the U.A., but it was…it was mocking. Whenever he thought back to it, he felt his chest swell up with too much to bear. The first day after the test, there was hope, but soon the hope fell prey to the doubt. And the doubt fell prey to the criticism.

He was a hard-worker, but he was also a realist, he recognized the split between dreams and reality. Those two points weren't anything to dream about, far from it.

Suddenly, Daichi felt a warm hand covering his own right, which had the staff in a death grip. Looking up, Daichi caught the gaze of his sympathetic teacher, who lightly tugged the staff from his hands. With the stick taken away, Daichi turned to face the punching bag and began to push it back against the wall, to its original position.

"You tried your best, didn't you?"

Daichi tossed a quick glance behind his shoulders, momentarily hurt. "Of course I did, sensei,"

He caught Meito-sensei's warm, apologetic hazel eyes, as the man stood waiting for Daichi's return. "And I didn't doubt you, but clearly you're doubting yourself. What are you so worried for?"

As the bag found the wall, Daichi turned to face his sensei across the room, not quite sure where to start. He didn't really know himself.

"It's always been a dream to go there, you know that," His sensei nods, Daichi continues.

"But, it's starting to feel like just that – a dream. I can fight, I have good heart, but what's a hero with no quirk –" Meito-sensei shot a pointed look, always quick to defend that Daichi did have a quirk and that in itself shouldn't be ignored, "Or _my_ Quirk?" Daichi quickly corrected, before he released a small sigh, his confession weighing more heavily than he anticipated.

Sweeping his tangled, sweaty hair back, Daichi resisted the urge to sit on the floor and sink into his palms. He wasn't a fan of resisting emotions, but he didn't want to crack in front of his teacher. Not after so many years of openly chasing after what turned out to be an unrealistic dream.

"Have you gotten your acceptance letter?"

"No."

"A rejection letter?"

"Not – "

"Then there's a chance, Daichi. There's always a chance, even for heroes. Even for you. When you were given that Quirk, it did not come with a curse, or a promise that you would never be able to be a hero, did it?"

Daichi shook his head, mute.

"Then there's nothing stopping you. No one but yourself, so don't. You should know, better than anyone, your Quirk doesn't make your destiny – you do. Don't sell yourself short just yet." There was a pregnant pause, before Meito continued. Daichi looked up for the first time, in the entire conversation, sullen, but listening.

"Your Quirk is an…interesting one. It won't be easy, but I believe in a future where you'll help this world we live, with or without your Quirk. You can learn from those stronger than you, those with quirks seemingly made to kill, too….saving people, I know it's in your blood. Regardless of what school you go to, or whether you use your quirk or not, you are a hero at heart. If you don't believe in that much, then you won't get far at all," Meito suddenly pushed out, fiercely, without a flicker of doubt or wavering. Daichi felt his eyes lightly water, Meito-sensei's words striking a chord so deep in Daichi, the note might never stop vibrating.

A small, but bright smile emerged, just as Meito-sensei threw the staff to Daichi, before drawing his own from the open box behind him. Setting his right foot forward, with the staff held straight out against Meito-sensei's underarm, the man silently egged Daichi forward with a challenge in his eyes.

"Practice never ends, not even for the heroes. Set your stance," With a quick nod – his smile still not fading – Daichi slid his own foot forward and lightly tapped Meito-sensei's staff with his own before dashing forward.

 _Strike,_

 _Side duck,_

 _Strike_

 _ **Strike!**_

[Break]

The sun was setting as Daichi reached back home. Locking the door behind him quickly enough, Daichi slid his bag off his shoulders and shoved his keys back in front pocket before moving through the hallway, in search of his parents. He had stopped asking about the U.A. letter after the third day with avail, but a large part of him still couldn't resist.

"Mom? Dad?" Daichi called out, wondering if the office kept them late again. They usually called him though, radio silence was unlike them. "Anyone home –"

Stepping into the kitchen from the hallway, Daichi came face-to-face with his beloved brother.

Sitting at the kitchen table in a navy blue shirt and black jeans, the ginger with black tips quickly looked up and shot Daichi a blinding smile before running out of his seat and pulling Daichi into a hug. Deji was still as broad as he was before. Only a little bit taller than Daichi, Deji was nearly their father's duplicate if it wasn't for the black tips or the brown eyes. Daichi, shell-shocked had nearly forgotten to hug his brother back, until the boy squeezed Daichi, pulling him closer.

"I'm so proud of you, Toshitomo, I'm so proud," His older brother murmured warmly, as he pulled away, ruffling the younger boy's dark hair. Daichi stood in the light of his brother's open love for a few moments, reveling in approval, happy to see his hero for the first time in months – until the actual weight of his words sank in. "Wait, what do you mean? What did I do?" Daichi asked, finally looking past his glowing brother to see his equally glowing parents. Then Dad pointed down at the table, and Daichi saw it. A letter from the U.A.

Suddenly, his throat dried up, and his fingertips went cold. For a moment, he wondered if Meito-sensei had knocked him out cold at the dojo and Daichi was dreaming. Or having a nightmare where the letter was just insulting Daichi for even thinking of signing their papers.

It was only when Deji's hand clapped Daichi's shoulders and pushed him forward, that Daichi came back to his senses. This wasn't a dream. He got a letter. He got a letter! It could be a rejection letter, the boy was more than aware of that, but regardless, it was a letter. He'd be acknowledged, and now it was just a matter of time before finding out if he was a hero of the U.A., or a hero on his own.

Finding purchase on the corner of the envelope, Daichi pulled it towards him, before taking the sealed end and pulling it out. Sitting inside was a letter and a tape – Daichi set the tape aside and pulled the letter open, with shaking hands. Daichi didn't notice his mother grabbing the tape and putting into the TV. His attention was only on the letter.

It was formalities, technical talk, acceptance, more legal lee –

Wait.

Acceptance. Daichi had been accepted. Why had he been accepted? He only had two points –

" **Daichi, I know your life has not been easy, and you have faced more than many of your peers have, even as a child, but you have a spirit that doesn't stop fighting. So let us train you. This is Your hero academia. We believe in you, Daichi!"** He heard from the TV set, moments before he found himself tackled to the ground with a blubbering, hysterical mother on top of him.

"Toshitomo, you got in! You got in! I can't believe it, you're gonna get your hair! My baby! Your mother would be so proud!" She squealed, just as Deji and Dad dog-piled on top of her, all of them shouting. Daichi was shocked, he couldn't move. He couldn't think. He couldn't breathe.

He got in. The U.A. accepted him. They got thousands of applicants, they tested hundreds, and they accepted a little over dozen. They looked at him, they looked at his grades, his hobbies, the restriction on his quirk, they looked at his mother and father, his brother, his birth mother, his family. They looked at his trigger incident, they looked at the test results and the devastation living in his blood – and they accepted him. They believed in him. He could be a hero.

Tears piled faster than Daichi could stop them and before he knew it, he was balling right there in front of his family. But they only held him tighter. "We did it," He affirmed, sniffling, navy eyes slightly red from the leaking. His father, openly crying beside him – no guesses where he got his crying affinity from – shook his head, "You did it, Daichi. You did it,"

Crying to laughter and laughter turned into genuine joy. Joy turned into hope, steadfast, unrelenting hope.

[Break]

It was the next morning that Daichi found himself sitting at his desk, Deji fast asleep on the bunk above him, with the rest of the papers in the envelope. The shock of acceptance still hadn't completely worn off, and sometimes he still wondered when he was gonna wake up. He knew how this looked to anyone else, this was a godsend, he should be grateful – and truly, he was – but there was the undeniable fact that his quirk would kill anyone he used it on.

The fact was only affirmed when he had to fill out Quirk identification on the sheet. They looked into his records, they knew what happened with his second-grade teacher. All it took was a moment. All he had to do was dig inside of him and find that small, small flame living deep in his core. Small, black, unwavering.

Once he brought that flame to the surface, and chose a target, it'd burn them to a crisp.

And it'd all happen in the span of three seconds, leaving only a pile of small, obsidian-like dust.

How do you use something like that? Train something like that?

If it could be used on anything and anyone, it would be easier, but no it only worked on living creatures. When the Quirk specialist took him in for a week, testing every avenue of his powers, it never worked on the dummies. But the moment they took out the rat, Daichi distinctly remembers it's sharp, mind-shattering squeal before it disappeared before his eyes.

That was the last time he used it.

They made him wear gloves for months, they made him contacts for even longer. They cut off the horns growing under his cowlicks. They erased it. But here Daichi was, signing away a promise to train for hero-dom, his Quirk in-tow.

How many times could he run around this equation, trying to find out some solution before he lost his mind? Maybe before he burned himself to ashes.

"You've been staring at that paper for the last ten minutes, are you ever gonna sign it?" Deji murmured, before Daichi heard some shuffling and the re-adjustment of mattress springs. "I'm trying to explain my Quirk. They need to know for the records –" Daichi quickly flipped over onto the back before grimacing, "And my suit. Guess they have to make it..fire-proof?" Deji nodded, as if it made the most sense in the world.

And in that moment, Daichi wondered what his life would've been like if Deji hadn't been the one to find him after killing his second-grade teacher.

"Well, that makes sense. It's disintegration, that is. You probably need a fire-proof suit, it'll help, but you mainly need something to fight in, right? Like your dojo-wear, just without the holes,"

"There's no holes –" Deji sharply pointed to the open laundry bin with yesterday's dojo outfit. Daichi's sweatpants sitting on the top, had a quarter sized hole on the bottom, near the ankle. Daichi burned a hot red, but Deji only snickered.

"This school will be good for you, really. I can feel it. Besides just learning to be a hero for hire, you'll make more friends, you'll get all the cool equipment, and you'll get a nice hair-cut. Oh! Make sure to accentuate the horns when you do, they're really so cool," Deji quickly rattled off, moving to let his legs hang over the end of the bed. Daichi couldn't resist a chuckle at the familiar site, before sweatdropping.

"I'm not showing my horns…"

Deji, in return, sweatdropped. "WHY!"

"It makes me look weird, like some demon.." Daichi muttered, embarrassed, his red cheeks contrasting with the blue of his features. Deji's sweat-drop grew heavier. "THAT'S WHY IT'S SO COOL, YOU IDIOT,"

"BOYS! VOLUME!" Mom called out from outside the door, despite being louder than both of them. Daichi shook his head, a small smile gracing his face, before turning over the sheet and looking to the costume portion of the sheets.

"No horns, I'm serious. It just doesn't work."

Deji shook his head in disbelief, before shrugging and lying back down. A quiet moment passed, as Daichi continued filling out the various sheets in front of him, before Deji spoke up.

"You didn't say no to the haircut – MOM GET THE SCISSORS!"

Realizing his mistake at the same moment, Daichi turned to protest only to be met with Deji hopping down from the bed and leaping across the distance to tackle Daichi to the ground. At the same moment, the door burst open to reveal his mother holding several sheers of scissors with a wicked grin.

His father guarded the door with a small evil smile.

Daichi knew he wouldn't stay mad, even after the haircut. He knew moments like these made life worth living, and he was grateful he had them – especially since there was a time when he could've lost it all, if not for his brother – but in the moment, Daichi could only scream as his mother began her chopping tirade.

And that's how his last weekend before the U.A. ended. In tears, in laughter, and loads of severed hair.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Daichi just barely remembers the trek to the bus, as it begins to descend into the city and leaves his home, miles away in the dust. Unlike most mornings, Deji had been there, while his parents cooked and prepared themselves for the day. Daichi only remembers Deji sliding the cold gray U.A. jacket onto his shoulders, rolling the ends up to just above his wrist, before lightly tugging his white collar up and meeting Daichi's eyes with a warm smile.

"You're a Daichi in name, but a Yuri in spirit. And you know what we are? **Heroes**."

Then, before he knew it. The navy-haired boy was sent off, with lightly ruffled hair – now only lighting kissing his shoulders – and kisses from parents, and his brother by his side. But now, the only thing Daichi can remember is the toil in his stomach, as the U.A. building slowly comes into view, even from seven stops away. Every time Daichi grew tired of the nerves from the school, he'd see their letter or see some report on the news about the school and its inability to accept failure, and Daichi would fall victim to the nerves all over again.

But on the surface, he prided himself on being calm and confidence. Sitting in his clean, newly purchased and ironed uniform, that fit his slim figure nicely, with his hair washed, clipped, and laying against the back of his neck cooly, he couldn't help but feel more put together than ever. Daichi didn't consider himself the most handsome man, or the biggest man, but he knew where his strengths where. And his attitude would always be one of them. Even if he was throwing up from nerves on the inside, on the outside, he'd always be okay. That was part of the job, keeping cool in a crisis. He didn't have to learn that from the U.A.

 _ **U.A. Stop Approaching!**_

The bus terminal rang from the driver's seat. Rising from his bench, Daichi quickly moved from the back of the bus to the exit, where the doors opened and deposited him before he could even blink. And just like that, he was on his own. Though he couldn't deny the small smile that graced his face as he began his trek towards the school – as nervous as he was, he was still grateful for the opportunity to join. It was a rarity he refused to ignore.

The walk to the school wasn't nearly as crowded as the first time, in fact, it was safe to stay there was no one else heading in his same direction, besides random drifters and local residents. He couldn't even see another uniform. For a moment, he wondered if he was insanely late, but his watch disagreed. So he was fine, a bit paranoid maybe, but ultimately fine.

Reaching the overarching U.A. sign, Daichi sent a small, respectful nod its way, almost thanking whatever spirits watched over it for the opportunity they granted him. The boy with an illegal quirk, how ironically kind they were. Reaching the double doors, Daichi momentarily drew out the school schedule in his pocket, referring back to the direction he had already printed on the back, Daichi confirmed his location before heading up the stairs and making a right down the hallway.

Again, the hallway wasn't insanely crowded, and even then, no one looked to be his age. It was actually mainly the faculty and older student, but none slowed down enough for Daichi to catch a good look at them. Which was comforting in a way, it meant everyone had something to do, everyone had a purpose. There was never any harm in that.

Reaching the 1-A classroom, Daichi stopped before making the turn through the doorway and took a deep breath, which nearly shook his head against his lungs and back. He earned his way to this doorway, he earned his way into this program. He was a good fighter, he was a fast thinker, a good person, a hero at heart. That was worth more than anything. He had to believe that. Daichi held his dreams, his goals, over anything. Over his fear and doubt and any reserves. Not only was it expected him, it was expected of anyone working to put their life on the line for the public.

That's not to say heroes can't have reserves, but they couldn't stand in the way of their job. Of justice. So Daichi wouldn't let it. Daichi's hands formed fists for a moment, the marking of his palms serving as a reminder to himself, a bittersweet reminder, Daichi took another breath, before pulling his posture up, raising his gaze straight ahead and turning into the doorway.

The classroom was only half full, with several students hanging out by the desks closest to the door – Daichi's luck. The first thing Daichi saw was a bright blonde boy with the world's biggest scowl pointed his way, followed by curious red eyes & spiky hair. Next to the two was a smaller, green-haired girl with a small, hanging tongue, and another girl with pink skin, gray eyes, and two horns. In a funny way, they already looked like heroes, they were just in the making. Dad's marketing department would love them.

Daichi looked past the group and throughout the entire classroom, scanning the open seats, before moving towards the left most window and turning to enter the aisle – only to suddenly finding himself scattered face first on the floor, with a small shriek of surprise emitting from the desk against the wall. Pulling himself up on his elbows, Daichi shook the blue hair from his face and turned to look at what tripped him only to spot a small black shoe hovering in the air with no body attached.

Confused, the boy stared for a few, long moments. Then it clicked. There was someone invisible, that's who he must've fallen over. Daichi quickly shuffled to his feet, "I am so sorry, I didn't see you there. That was my fault, I should've been paying more attention –"

"Ah, it's okay, it happens a lot," A female voice responded, meekly, which only caused Daichi to shake his head furiously. "It's no excuse, I apologize. My name is Toshitomo Daichi, I hope you can forgive me, ma'am"

The girl almost shrieked in surprise when Daichi bowed to what he could now see was a girl's uniform sitting beside the large desk. "It's okay, Daichi, it's okay,"

Daichi nodded and rose to full position before turning to the row beside hers against the wall, and gesturing to the second seat, behind the first. "Is anyone sitting here?"

She could've shaken her head, but he wouldn't have known, so he waited, "No, it's available."

Daichi nodded again, sending out a quick thanks, before pulling his passenger bag over his shoulder and onto the floor under his seat, and sitting down.

"I never got to introduce myself, my name is –"

"Hagakure, are you okay? I saw you fall from your seat before, but I had trouble getting through," A deep voice called out from behind Daichi, causing him to turn, only to meet abdomen. Then several pairs of arms. With wide navy eyes, Daichi looked up to spot a boy with faded white, combed over two sharp eyes and even sharper jaw, covered by a blue mask. Out of the corner of his eye, Dai could see a mouth coming from limbs.

Daichi nearly turned back to apologize once more, not even realizing the girl fell, only for the girl to quickly wave her hands in front of her. "I'm fine, Shoji. Daichi took a heavier fall then I did, and he apologized, even though he really didn't have to.." 

"It's polite, I would've done it either way." Daichi quickly interjected before looking to the tall Shoji behind him. "I apologize again if I concerned you –"

"Nonsense, no need to make such a small thing serious. But I appreciate it," The tall boy moved to sit in the seat in front of Daichi, by directly adjacent to Hagakure. The boy soon turned to face Daichi. "My name is Mezo Shoji,"

"And I'm Toru Hagakure." The girl quickly added, Daichi sent a small, polite smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you two, I'm sure you will make great heroes,"

Shoji met Daichi's eyes slowly. "How can you be sure?"

Daichi shrugged lightly as if it was the simplest things in the world. "You're genuine."

And with that, a quiet hush fell over the room as a man with shaggy black hair entered the room. Shoji looked a bit surprised but didn't hesitate to turn forward. Hagakure didn't move initially – it's possible she was blushing, but Daichi would never know – and she turned forward as well. Soon students rushed to their seats, leaving the angry blonde boy to Daichi's right, a girl with long earlobes behind Daichi, and the very excitable electric boy from tryouts to his right.

The man with long black went by Aiwaza-sensei, also known as Eraserhead: a famous alumnus of the U.A. He was their assigned homeroom teacher. But he didn't stick to introduction antics for long, or at all actually. He wanted to get straight into another physical examination: a Quirk assessment.

Immediately, Daichi felt his throat cease up, but instead of swallowing his wad of spit or squirming, Daichi simply combed back fallen wavy hairs and kept his gaze straight ahead, which was admittedly a little hard when Shoji was at least 6'2''.

"Head to the lockers room, change into your gym uniform and meet me out back, in front of the exit, where I'll explain the examination." And with that, Aiwaza-sensei somehow summoned a sleeping back and fell right back asleep on the floor.

For a moment, the boy wondered how his teacher would gonna make it to the field, but as his class quickly swept out the door to change, Daichi didn't wait to find out. Following the boys to the bathroom, Daichi began to peel off the layers of uniform, while his uniform hung from his locker's hook. The boys around Daichi were certainly..developed.

Out of obligation – more to himself than anything – Daichi kept his gaze straight ahead, as he pulled his white shirt off before quickly pulling the form-fitting top on. Doing the same with his pants and his shoes, Daichi found the silence of the locker, okay silence minus Bakugo's or "Kacchan" as Midoriya or "Deku" called him, but Daichi didn't think that'd fly, comforting. It gave him time to think.

There were no applications to his Quirk, none that the quirk center detected, none that he could personally think of. So how could he use that in a Quirk examination? The only thing he'd think of is using that on an animal, but even that was inhumane, and it'd serve no purpose than proving that it killed. So what next? Maybe Daichi could test everything but his quirk. His quick thinking, his running, his fighting. He'd love to spar for training, even pick up a new fighting style. He always wanted to get into boxing, wrestling too. It was so American, but it was a definite exercise. It'd only make him stronger.

Pulling his hair back into a hair ponytail with the band around his wrist, Daichi moved past the boys waiting in the hallway and made his way to the exit that Aiwaza-sensei wanted them to wait at. Standing outside were a few girls, which Daichi didn't have the immediate gull to just approach, so instead, he stood to the side where a blonde boy stood with a large, emasculate tail. Daichi momentarily stared in awe, before the boy looked over to Daichi and gave a smile.

"Are you as nervous as I am?"

For the first time since getting his letter, Daichi felt relief sweep through his body. He knew he wasn't alone, even before today, but it felt to know that one of his peers felt the same. Daichi nodded quickly. "Absolutely, I have no idea what to expect. But what are you worried about, your tail looks stronger than anyone else's."

"Well, considering I'm the only one who has one, I'd hope so," The blonde boy chuckled. Daichi realized his mistake and burned a hot red before the boy laughed a bit harder. "Aren't you humble.." Daichi countered, before clearing his throat, "But you know what I mean, you look strong,"

"We all do."

"We all do, you're right. More reason to believe in yourself."

"What makes you think I look strong?"

Daichi paused for a moment to collect his words, before looking to the tail. "Are you a fighter?" The boy's eyebrows raised before nodding. "I've been doing martial arts all my life."

Daichi stopped, mind crawling to a slow for a moment before a light bulb went off. "So have I! Well, only since I was seven or so, but I can't remember a time without it. It saved me!" Daichi quickly popped out, before turning red again at his outburst, before clearing his throat and lowering his voice to a murmur. "I probably shouldn't be so loud, but again, you get my point," The blonde boy nodded, before shooting him a bright smile, "I feel the same. I don't know who I'd be without it,"

The two boys exchanged warm grins before Daichi held out a hand. "I'm Toshitomo Daichi, who's the humble tail-holder I'm speaking to?"

The handsome blonde boy rolled his eyes. "It's Mashirao Ojiro. I don't actually think I have the best tail, like, ever."

Daichi sweatdropped. "But you're the only one with a tail here, right? Doesn't that make you the best?" In return, Ojiro sweat-dropped. "I meant in general!"

"You should clarify that,"

"Okay, Mr. Oblivious," Ojiro teased before exhaling a small sigh, relaxing a bit. "But seriously, you'll be okay, it's just the first day. It can't be much worse than the Entrance Exam."

"It can and will be much worse, Daichi, don't doubt that." A voice murmured behind the navy haired boy, causing him to jump and land next to Ojiro. Standing there was a disturbed Aiwaza-sensei with a glare, before waving the other students over.

Daichi hoped his ears didn't burn as brightly as his cheeks. He wasn't used to be in such an unusually submissive position before. School had always been an easy thing for him in the last couple of years, so being in a position of inferiority and open embarrassment was mortifying for Daichi. Ojiro sent a small, apologetic glance. Comforting at it's simplest level. Daichi was already thankful.

The Quirk assessment test was made to see how well-trained their Quirks were. It wasn't enough for them to be strong, they were like muscles – how useful was a strong heart, lungs, or even senses, if you could only really use them once, maybe twice, in an emergency. Aiwaza-sensei's philosophy was simple, while others would feel bad for not thinking of it themselves, Daichi's admiration for the man sprung, he nodded along with the group and waited for further instruction.

To prove his theory, Aiwaza-sensei gave Bakugo a baseball and asked him to launch it as far as he could. The blonde boy, eager to prove his might, easily launched it into the near atmosphere before it fell back down several meters out. The crowd quickly awed, Daichi silently included. It was impressive, no doubt, but was that level of power consistent? Could he launch something that far a thousand times over? Then another thousand times again, if another villain emerged from the wreckage.

Aiwaza-sensei must've not been impressed, because last minute, he changed the rules, and suddenly, their game of show & tell was now a race. And whoever came last would be kicked out, indefinitely.

Daichi's eyebrows pulled together, as a frown set, but he didn't move. He was liable to be kicked out, no doubt, but he couldn't help but wonder just how active the other students were and if that'd be an advantage for him. While many could use their Quirks to succeed, there were a few who didn't seem as lucky. Daichi was not the only one at a disadvantage – so he couldn't act like he was.

Taking the stunned silence as silent consent, Aiwaza-sensei turned towards the track and commanded the students to enter a row individually. Walking alongside an equally focused Ojiro, Daichi stood towards the second-to-last row, furthest away from Aiwaza-sensei. But the navy-haired boy knew he could see every single one of them, down to the wiggle of his shoes.

As the students prepared to run, Daichi took a moment to roll his neck and sink his arms forward, kneeling into a runner's pose. Closing his eyes for a fraction of second, Daichi thought back to his middle school days of track & field, where Coach would walk by each & every one of them, and without a word, start the meeting. Daichi remembers the cool feeling of adrenaline running through his veins before he zoned it on the end-zone and only the end-zone.

Aiwaza-sensei commenced the assessment, and Daichi took off down the field. The only thing the navy-haired boy felt was the cool whipping of air across his body, keeping up just behind Ojiro, before crossing the line in a quick 5.01 seconds. Turning his heels and sliding to a stop, Daichi took a deep breath before heading to the side.

The exams following were the same. He wasn't wrong when he noticed he wouldn't be the only one at a disadvantage. In fact, if he had to say someone was the _most_ disadvantaged, it was the green-haired boy – Midoriya, if Daichi heard right.

That was until they had reached the final portion, the Pitch. The usual suspects go: Bakugo clears it, and the various others follow. Shoji threw it so far, Daichi wondered if they could've gone to the Championship in middle school if Shoji was on the team. When it was Daichi's turn to go, he quickly rolled his wrist and turned his right heel back before swinging forward and launching it out.

Nowhere near close to Bakugo's but further than at least three previous throws: Daichi's wasn't last. Both Shoji and Ojiro sent him grins, as Hagakure shot a thumbs up. When Aiwaza-sensei only gave a small, affirmative noise, Daichi took that as a win and sheepishly made his way back to Ojiro's side where his two classmates waited, as well.

"Did you play in middle school?" Hagakure quickly asked, which Daichi nodded, "You must've been great, that's one throw!"

"And you didn't even use your Quirk. You beat mine and I hit with my tail," Ojiro sheepishly added, in which Daichi patted him on the shoulder. "I'm sure you just need practice hitting such a small target. If it'd be a kickball, you'd be a winner for sure."

"What is your Quirk, Daichi?" Shoji suddenly asked, causing Daichi to stop in hesitation, so caught up in the moment, he had forgotten there were those who didn't know and would want to. So what did he do with that?

Thankfully, it was that moment that Midoriya stepped up and prepared to launch the ball. Then it happened.

A bright flash of red and suddenly, Aiwaza-sensei was next to Midoriya, glaring down at him. He was speaking lowly, but it was still just loud enough for Daichi to catch the end of his words. Midoriya's power wouldn't let him be a hero, he'd be a nuisance.

Daichi felt a chord strike in him, and for a moment, he wondered if Midoriya would walk away and if Daichi would let him. They didn't even know each other, but suddenly, Daichi didn't want Midoriya to back down. This was about more than himself.

And Midoriya must've felt the same because, in the next moment, he was launching the ball with the power of a beast. The throw made the air recoil, sending those close by into a cloud of dust. Daichi's eyes squinted, but never closed, as he waited for the air to settle and for the green-haired boy to emerge. And he did – with a watery grin.

And just like that, any reserves about the U.A., it was gone. This was his life now. Why? Because this fight, to be a hero, it wasn't just his own.

Daichi heard cheering behind him – coming from a short, cute brunette along with a tall, broad blue haired boy with glasses. He would've clapped too, but before they knew it, they were being rushed to the exam results. It was then Daichi saw Midoriya's finger, wilted and red. Somehow, the realization didn't make Daichi feel any less motivated. In fact, it did quite the opposite.

Following the others to the board, Daichi took a moment to stretch his limbs, while his newfound friends walked by his side. "What do you think Midoriya's quirk so? Super-strength, but it hurts him?"

"I think maybe it's a booster, but has damages on his body. I saw a bit of what he did at the entrance exam and it was intense," Ojiro added while Hagakure nodded as if storing the information somewhere. Both Daichi and Shoji were quiet, none the less captivated.

"I hope I passed. It's hard to use this invisibility to my advantage." Hagakure murmured, softly. Daichi looked over to the girl quickly, refusing to let her put herself down. "You'll make a great investigative hero. Like Eraserhead. I'm sure he'll have us work on various types of training, not just strength focused. You're gonna be more than okay, Hagakure." Daichi affirmed, without room for doubt. "We can't start losing hope on the first day, can we?"

She gave a small affirmative noise and lightly patted Daichi's arm in gratitude. The boy nodded, sending the girl a soft smile before the group came to a stop in front of a sign holding the results.

Sitting in 8th place was Daichi.

"Daichi, we're chart buddies," Ojiro whispered under his breath, causing Daichi to chuckle and nudge his side, but even then he couldn't hide his smile. He'd done it. He hadn't been first in any of his tests, but his athletic ability gave him some advantages where his Quirk had given him a disadvantage.

Unfortunately, sitting at the bottom, was Midoriya. The boy was beginning to look green all over – and not just from his finger injury – until Aiwaza-sensei spoke up. The expulsion had been a ruse, no one was being kicked out.

And just like that, the class released a unanimous sigh. Daichi even felt Shoji relax from behind him.

Aiwaza-sensei the claimed to set the exam up with a false expulsion to get them to give it their all, but Daichi couldn't help but wonder if that was the real lie. Aiwaza-sensei seemed like the type to expel someone on the first day. Tough love, maybe.

Dismissing the class – all while letting Midoriya head to the nurse's room – Daichi moved with Shoji and Ojiro to head into the locker rooms, while Aiwaza-sensei remained where he was. Soon enough, the majority of the class was clean and heading home.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Daichi politely dismissed, before beginning to descend down the stairs, only to turn into Shoji's waiting frame. He looked down at the navy-haired boy curiously.

"Do you remember what you said in the classroom? About being genuine?"

Daichi's mouth open and closed wordlessly, clearly taken off guard by the tall boy's proximity and immediate stern attitude, but he nodded, remembering the moment. "Thank you. For believing in me, in us." 

Again, Daichi was taken off-guard, navy-eyes searching Shoji's dark, unblinking own, before he slowly nodded, again.

"I look forward to being your teammate this year, Toshitomo Daichi."

With a hesitant smile spreading across his features, Daichi nodded, this time, enthusiastically. "I look forward to being your friend too, Shoji," Daichi responded, warmly, as the taller boy looked off to the ground, at the intimate gesture, causing Daichi to laugh.

Not a bad first day at all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Hey guys. I want to thank you again for taking the time to read the story. It's always appreciated. Your thoughts & opinions are always appreciated. I should note, this story is as character-focused as it is Quirk-focused, which means that while Daichi's growth as a hero will be documented, you will also see his development with his friends & others developed as well.**

 **Besides that, enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 4:

If you told Daichi he would end up in the principal's office before he even stepped into the classroom, this morning, he wouldn't have believed you.

His day had started off like any other. He had gotten up, run three laps around his apartment building. He'd even stopped at the grocery store to pick up the three different brands of cereal eaten at his house – all chocolate, ironically, no one ate the same _type_ of chocolate – before he showered, combed his hair, slid into his uniform and caught the first bus out to the U.A.

Watching the sunrise behind a steaming mug of tea was starting to feel like a newfound, comforting way to start the day. By the time he got to school, he was sharp, focused, and ready to learn. He got through the front lobby, said good-morning to the desk staff, and the lingering, exiting janitor staff before making it to the locker room where he shoved away his bag with one hand while juggling his school material in the other.

It was then that a small off-white note fell from the back of the locker. Reaching out to catch the slowly descending note, Daichi folded the paper to read: **Visit me (Principal Nezu!) before class.**

As strange as the note was written, the small scripted signature on the corner of the page, right below the U.A. sigil destroyed any chance of this being a joke. Taking the note in his pocket, Daichi quickly shuffled his bag in and tucked his notebook under his arm, before fixing his hair and moving out of the room and upstairs towards the office.

A solid fifteen minutes later, Daichi still sat in the empty Principal's office, hoping he could get an excused tardiness pass by the time they finished.

Soon enough, Daichi heard a small rumble. Assuming that Principal Nezu was at the door, he looked over, only to be greeted with the site of the Principal now sitting on top of the desk. Daichi swallowed the small jump in surprise, and instead took the initiative to stand.

"Good Morning, Principal Nezu," The boy greeted with a small bow, before the Principal nodded, allowing the boy to sit back down. Principal Nezu didn't move throughout the entire ordeal. He didn't blink either, not even when Daichi returned to his seat and waited patiently. It was after another entire minute of excruciating silence, that he blinked.

"Where are your gloves, Toshitomo?"

The boy blinked, first wondering if the school had mandated gloves for the uniform. Had he forgotten them two days in a row?

No, they couldn't be it. That'd be inhibiting, and he hadn't seen anyone else wear them. That left only left another option. Daichi's eyes flickered with recognition, but he stayed quick, his gaze flickering down for a moment, a mix of disappointment and something else settling in his stomach.

"I haven't had to wear them for years, sir. The scientists said so."

"It says they're not mandatory, but it's recommended. Do you believe otherwise?" Principal Nezu quickly responded, his voice squeaky, but his tone steely, certain.

He did. But that wasn't appropriate. Daichi wasn't above the law. So, instead, he shook his head. "No, sir, I just haven't caused an issue since the triggering, and after years of good behavior, it wasn't asked of me anymore."

"By who?"

The boy forced himself to keep the mouse's gaze, as he swallowed his spit and continued. "By my peers, by my parents."

"Did your peers know the full extent of your powers? Did your parents? Do your current peers?" 

"They..had an idea. My parents do. My classmates do not." 

"Are you ashamed?"

"I'm not _special,_ sir. I don't need special accommodation, if this is what this about," Daichi quickly responded, his eyes as hard as Principal Nezu's own resolve. The only thing that moved for another minute, was the clock above the Principal's head.

Then, the principal moved to lift a large box, the size of his own body, onto the counter, before pushing it towards Daichi on the couch across from it. "You were accepted into the school, like any of other, but like any other student, we can't have them hurting each other."

"My Quirk doesn't work like that, you know –"

"Have you been using it?!"

Daichi paused, surprised by the sharp shift in his voice, before shaking his head, "No, of course, not –"

"Then you don't know _what_ your Quirk is capable of. Your Quirk could easily activate in training, in a mock fight, and all it can take is one touch, like years before, and before you know it, one of the U.A.'s brightest is dead. In seconds." Principal Nezu continued, leaving no room for discussion. Daichi found himself sitting back tightly against the couch as if quietly beaten into a corner. Daichi prided himself on his self-control, but he didn't pride himself on burying his feelings. And right now? It felt like he'd been stabbed in the gut, right through the chink of his newfound U.A. armor. A painful, bitter reminder.

Principal Nezu watched the openly hurt boy and without a word, turned towards the box and tossed the cover off. "These are your new mandated gloves. You'll be wearing them 24/7, on-campus. On school trips. And I'd recommend off campus too. Being a student here is more than walking these halls. I know your suit features their own set, so you can switch if you're wearing it, but otherwise, these stay on." The mouse commanded.

The gloves were primary red, the same shade as Daichi's tie. Probably the brightest color they could've chosen. All because Daichi, at heart, was still a threat. He knew he should be more considerate, this was a rational decision. Maybe Daichi would've done the same if he was the Principal.

But he wasn't. And it hurt. Because Daichi hadn't done anything in years – even when he had the chance. And yet, behind the scenes, they must've seen him as a ticking time bomb. A wolf in sheep's clothing.

Daichi ignored the burn of his throat, as it ceased within himself, and instead, he reached forward and slid the weighty, metallic red gloves on. Once they were on, Daichi turned the dial at the ends of the wrist to lock them on. And just like that, he was done. And his hands were cold.

Would his next shackle be around his eyes so he could see his victim? Around his neck, so he couldn't breathe long enough to try anything.

Flexing his fingers beneath, Daichi momentarily wondered if he even needed his hands to activate his Quirk.

"You have five minutes till your class begins, you may go."

Daichi didn't wait to rise out of his seat and moved towards the door. As he grabbed the handle – which he couldn't even feel – and turned it to pull it open, Principal Nezu spoke, "You _were_ accepted, Toshitomo. Don't forget that."

Daichi could've turned around, questioned the smaller creature. But instead, he opened the door and moved through without as much as a look back, before closing it behind him. Even in shame, Daichi couldn't find it to be as much angry as he was hurt.

Moving through the hallways, Daichi quickly reached the 1-A classroom and moved through the open entrance, only to step in front of a filled classroom, with Aiwaza-sensei waiting in the front. Class had just begun. Daichi was late either way.

Aiwaza-sensei stopped in his sentence, eying Daichi's bright red gloves – much like everyone else in the classroom – before a flicker of something passed through his eyes, mercy maybe, and he nodded towards Daichi's empty seat beside Hagakure.

Daichi meant to send a grateful smile, but he could only manage a grimace, as he slid his gloved hands into his pockets and moved into his seat without a word. Shoji sent him a muted nod, Hagakure waved, and Ojiro sent the boy a small smile, the only one to meet Daichi's eyes and not his gloves, before looking to the board.

What a lovely way to start the day, don't you think?

" **I AM HERE!"**

Suddenly, emerging through the door in all his 7'2'' glory was All Might. The majority of the class immediately glowed, as the large man came through and stood in the front of the class – where Aiwaza-sensei mysteriously disappeared – and launched into a speech.

While Daichi loved All Might as much as the next guy, he knew way too much about All Might's behind the scenes drama, from Dad, who was a recurring member of All Might's marketing team. All Might was a nice guy, no doubt, very brave, but he was also very reckless at times. But good-hearted. Daichi just knew enough of the stories behind the scenes to see All Might as more of a well-rounded hero, rather than a celebrity.

On a day-to-day basis, Class 1-A would either Concrete days or Abstract days. Concrete days focused onsite, physical combat. Abstract days were focused on academic studies. While both were crucial, the first few weeks would be very Concrete focused, since it took lots of training before students were even trusted to enter a serious, formal arena. And at the moment, they were all under-trained. So today was another Concrete Day, much like the Quirk assessment.

"To your right, you will find the suits you designed with your U.A. acceptance. Change into those and meet me down at Ground B. Plus Ultra!" And with that, All Might disappeared in a buff of smoke – but not before Daichi caught site of a window flapping open to Hagakure's right.

Didn't that drop at least five stories?

"I didn't think we'd get our suits so soon," Ojiro murmured in awe, as he rose out of his seat, his brown eyes scouring the wall for his assigned box. Daichi looked away from the window to face his friends, who were all rising from their seats, so he followed.

"Did you get your gloves early, Daichi?" Hagakure asked from beside him. He wished.

He shook his head. "No, they sorta gave these to me. I haven't had to wear them in years, but they want to start the routine up again."

"Does this have to do with your Quirk?" Shoji asked, slowly. Daichi nodded with a small frown. "Unfortunately."

Ojiro also frowned. "Is it hurting you?"

"No, I don't even know if it can. But it can hurt others."

The mass of kids around their suits began to fizzle away, letting Daichi and the others move towards their suits at last. Finding his own at the end of the rack, Daichi couldn't help but grow excited as he took his case into his hands and followed the class out into the locker rooms.

Standing in his complete suit, Daichi couldn't help but admire the support department's work. His suit was a black plated bodysuit, made for mobility in combat, but also defense in case of major body hits. Around his belt with a thick utility built with two batons that extended into two full-length staff, and a few other knick-knacks waiting: two strapped daggers, two smaller strapped knives, and several non-fatal bombs made for either decreasing visibility, or gas-focused disablers. The gloves of the suit, unlike the red ones, were all black, and lighter than the other.

Underneath the plated surface was a current of water, thin, but moving, that would keep his body cool in case his Quirk somehow activated and back-fired onto himself.

Sending in front of his locker mirror, Daichi lifted his hands to his neck to lift the circular black goggles from around its magnetic lock to his collar, to his eyes. Attached to the goggles was breathable, block mesh that covered his face from the goggles and under. The only visible thing left was his hair, which he pulled back into another half-ponytail.

His suit was complete.

"Daichi! Your suit is so cool!" Ojiro called from behind him, standing in his white Karategi with several patches sewn on. Daichi bowed his head with a hidden grin. "Thank you, my brother helped me design it. He works with the Police Academy so he helped me focus on mobility and utility."

Ojiro nodded enthusiastically, now studying the suit with a hand under his chin. "You must want to work as a night-time hero. Like a ninja." Daichi nodded again. "I figured that's where I'd be most useful, but I have no qualms working day-time. Your suit makes you really approachable, it'll help you a bunch during the day-time."

Ojiro looked down at his suit before chuckling. "This is actually just my Karategi, they just made it with stronger material. I would've taken my own if I could."

"Well, I'm glad you got to keep your badges on. Those are amazing achievements. You must've been training for ages." Daichi complimented, shutting his locker behind him and gesturing for he and Ojiro to head out. Ojiro fell in step with Daichi as they made their way out.

"Oh yeah, it was the main sport I can do without my tail messing me up! I would've done it regardless though, it's really a way of life. Helps me –"

"Calm down." They both finished before Daichi nodded in agreement. "I couldn't agree with you more."

Standing at the end of the hallway was the boy that Daichi met at the entrance exam. Daichi's eyes widened as he jogged over. "Hey!" He called out – they really must've taken his wishes to make the costume as stealth-focused as possible, because Koda nearly screamed when Daichi appeared behind him. Wide eyes ready to bulge out, Ojiro quickly caught up.

"Daichi, he doesn't know it's you! You look like a ghost! You can't run up on people like that, even I didn't hear you and I was _watching_ you."

Daichi felt bad for running up on the boy until the boy turned to Daichi and wrapped him in a powerful hug. "I'm sorry, I should've caught up with you on the first day, I got so distracted," Daichi started, patting the taller boy's back before they both pulled away.

"That's my fault, I distracted him with my tail," Ojiro murmured, jokingly, to which Daichi snickered. Koda waved Daichi off wordlessly before he looked hesitant. As if he wanted to say something. Suddenly, an even taller boy in yellow appeared behind him.

He was…admittedly handsome. With spiky brown hair, equally dark brown eyes, and full lips, he stood easily 6'0'', with thick crossed arms, and broad, built body. "Koda, there you are. You got into your costume so quickly,"

Koda quickly rattled something off with sign language, to which the boy's eyes grew wide as he newly regarded Daichi. Even though Daichi had far less to show, in terms of facial features, and that should really give him the upper hand, but he couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit small under the larger boy's gaze. "You're the guy who helped Koda?"

Daichi nodded, to which Ojiro looked surprised as well, but not bitterly so. "Without your Quirk too?"

Again, Daichi nodded, momentarily wishing they commented hadn't slipped in such an open environment. Yes, Daichi wasn't incredibly close with Ojiro, but he liked the guy enough to maybe explain his situation in the future, alone. Not any time soon, Daichi didn't think that'd help his training at all. Everyone would think he couldn't carry himself and he wasn't having that. Not today, with Principal Nezu's detrimental behavior.

The boy eyed Daichi for a long second after, apprehending the black-warped Navy-haired boy, before nodding. "Cool. That's really cool of you."

"Sato! Hurry up, our seats are gonna get taken!" Another boy, Hanta Sero, Daichi thought, called out from the doorway of the filling bus. The brunette boy, Sato, sent a grunt to the boy before nudging Koda and the two headed on their way. Koda sent a wave Daichi's way before disappearing.

Both Ojiro and Daichi released a sigh. "That was intense," Ojiro sweat-dropped, "Why is everything with you so intense?"

Daichi flicked Ojiro's side. "What do ya mean? I'm just being polite –"

"You mean _genuine?_ " Hagakure suddenly teased, from behind Daichi, causing him to jump. Ojiro made Hagakure's fisted glove halfway for a fist bump. "Serves you right for scaring that poor boy,"

"You scared Koda?"

"Tortured the guy, had him beg for mercy,"

"You despicable creature," Shoji suddenly called from behind Daichi, causing him to jump out of his skin before running off for the bus, leaving behind his snickering classmates.

Next stop, Ground B.

 **Author's Note: Didn't think you guys would want a super-long chapter, so I decided to cut this one. Hope you guys enjoy.**

 **I felt like I should let you guys know, this is a slow-burn of a story. While that doesn't mean Daichi won't be fighting for AGES, that does mean I want things to develop organically. I don't think such stories are usually popular on this site with BNHA, but I'd like to try regardless. And for those in the future, reading through all the chapters, they'll probably thank me? Hopefully.**

 **Till next time.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Reviews are always appreciated. Thank you for your time.**

Chapter 5:

Midoriya and Bakugo's fight was, unsettling, but didn't come as a surprise. As far as Daichi could see, Bakugo hated Midoriya with a passion that could only be matched by his explosive, deadly quirk, and Midoriya let him. Midoriya didn't seem to hate him at all, but Bakugo certainly triggered his competitive spirit.

Their fight was violent, loud and catastrophic to their environment. Daichi applauded Urakaka and Iida for standing their ground, even as their building nearly fell apart.

So when All Might mainly criticized the fight, despite its very impressive aerial of abilities, Daichi wasn't surprised. Strength wasn't the only thing they were training, they needed environmental awareness. And you couldn't save many people if you were destroying homes, store, and shelters all around you. But nevertheless, it was a good fight.

Todoroki and Ojiro's was..less appealing. Not just because Daichi might've been a bit biased towards his tailed friend, but more since it wasn't much of a fight. Todoroki cleared the field, literally. Anyone that wasn't himself or in the vicinity was frozen to the ground. Daichi could appreciate a powerful Quirk like anyone else, but he didn't appreciate the lack of sportsmanship. Todoroki didn't even try to work with his teammate. People like him made Daichi wonder why they went through the efforts of being a hero if they so clearly didn't need others to help them.

Those usually made for vigilantes, not state-sponsored superheroes. But regardless, Daichi congratulated both teams politely. Though Ojiro looked more disappointed than anything. But just as quickly as Ojiro entered the room, the next team was sent up:

Mineta, Yaoyorozu, and Daichi vs. Kirishima and Kaminari.

"I wonder why we have an uneven team, that seems unfair against Kirishima and Kaminari," Yaoyorozu murmured, as they all traveled to a small, condominium at the end of the Battle Grounds B. Mineta shrugged as he noticeably walked behind the taller, curvier Yaoyorozu with a particularly dirty glint in his eyes. Daichi did what he could, as he slowly put himself between the pair, causing Daichi to trail behind the navy haired boy instead.

"It's possible their Quirks are powerful enough to make it fair," Daichi offered.

"And ours aren't?" Mineta countered, with a small glance to Daichi's metallic, plated gloves, that shone in the early evening light. "They are, but the others have a wider range of attack. There'll be situations where the odds are uneven, and we need to be ready,"

"Another Midoriya, great.." Mineta murmured, clearly disappointed, to which Daichi sweat-dropped for a moment – Midoriya wasn't bad, but Daichi would hate to come off as boring – before his eyebrows drew together in confusion. "I don't get –"

"Forget him, I think you're on the right track, Daichi. It's nice to have another brain to put to the task," Momo interjected, gratefully, before we came to a stop in front of the brick condominium. Standing twenty feet tall, the entire building was brick encased with thick, bordered windows several meters apart. The lobby beyond the entrance was spotless with white furniture filling the space. This was a mock replica of an industrial zone building.

Most large-scale villain attacks took place in the shopping or residential zones since both had large flows of traffic. Industrial zones weren't invincible, but those attacks usually included some form of robbery, hostage, or sometimes internal crime: villain against villain. But either way, it was an area where people eat, slept, and lived. They could be targets.

Kirishima and Kaminari entered the building first, meaning they were already by their missile, at the top floor. Kirishima's hardening ability made him a formidable opponent for defense and offense, but he seemed more fit for defense. He could ram through opponents, rendering them unconscious for the rest of the fight. If he sought them out, he could at least take one out, before hunting the rest. Kirishima was by no means malicious, not like Bakugo, but that didn't mean he wouldn't do what he needed to succeed. This was their first real test of ability, outside of the Quirk assessment. Wearing their suits only made this more real. Daichi couldn't assume he'd hold anything back out of concern. It might've been an unkind assumption, but he couldn't leave much up to fate.

Opposite to the red-headed boy was Kaminari, who was much more poised for defense. Anyone that came too close could be electrocuted and permanently eliminated. Anyone who slipped through the cracks who face that fate. Daichi wasn't sure if Kaminari's Quirk allowed multiple hits, but assuming his worked like Kirishima's, offering endless use, he had to assume Kaminari was always a threat.

With three of them, they outnumbered them. How could they use that?

"Yaoyorozu, how does your Quirk work? So we have a full understanding,"

Tossing a glance over his shoulder, Daichi watched her come out of her own head, before nodding resolutely. "I can create whatever I have a full, mechanical understanding of, using the fat-soluble cells in my blood."

Daichi nodded, taking it in, "Is there a limit?"

"I don't have an infinite amount of fat."

"Mineta?" Daichi continued, pointedly. The boy pointed to the purple balls on his head. "I can throw these and they stick to anything. They only detach when I want them to."

"Can they be destroyed or burnt?"

Mineta thought for a moment before shaking his head. "They haven't before."

Daichi nodded, eying the balls once more, before it hit him. It wasn't the wisest to split up, but the odds of them defeating both Kirishima and Kaminari in combat was slim, and it's possible to split both Kaminari and Kirishima's attention on two of their team, before the third gets to the missile.

Mineta was best set against Kaminari. He was smaller, faster, and could use his balls as deflectors for electrical current if need be. He could still be stung, but it was better than nothing. The goal would be to draw Kaminari away, or at the least, distract him. His balls were small but consistent enough to be an annoyance.

Daichi would have to face against Kirishima. Daichi was a little taller than him, but Kirishima would have more brute force and the advantage of deflecting any hits – they would only hurt Daichi. But the goal to disabling Kirishima would be Kirishima's straight-forward path. He was a wrecking ball, but they were only deadly when they were in your path. If Daichi could find a way to use Kirishima's mass against him, then he wouldn't be an issue.

That left Momo as the grabber. She could either make a run for it or come up with a contraption to grab the missile.

"Okay, I have a plan. Feel free to offer revisions, if it doesn't work for you. We're going to split up and enter the building from three different vantage points. Kirishima will most likely be on the offense, Kaminari will be the defense. While we'll all look and head for the missile, the goal is for Mineta to encounter and distract Kaminari, while I find and fight Kirishima. Yaoyorozu, you'll be getting the missile for our victory?"

"Why me?" Mineta immediately squealed,

"Your balls may be electricity-resist, but more importantly you're fast and smaller than he is. We just need him distracted."

"How will I get the missile, since Kaminari won't leave it alone, knowing there's three of us?"

"Can you make something that'd bring the miss-"

They both stopped, raising their huddled gaze to meet. "A magnet!" They both shot out. Mineta looked between them. "How is she supposed to make a magnet?"

Momo looked deep in thought for a second, with crinkled eyebrows and pout, before straightening and nodding. "It's a coil of wire wrapped in steel, but it needs to be charged, which means I need to face Kaminari."

Mineta looked relieved, but Daichi stilled. "Coming to Kaminari with two people is an easy way to attract Kirishima. Mineta, do you think you could get Kaminari to do a large-scale electricity attack that Yaoyorozu could get a charge from?"

"No! I don't want to be fried, I just started here!"

"Your balls, though,"

"We don't _know_ if they're electricity resist. If they are, we're taking a big risk."

Daichi sighed lightly but nodded. "I understand the risk, and while I would hate for you to be hurt, I don't see any other reasonable way. I'm gonna have to ask you to take this risk."

Mineta was silently, fuming maybe. Yaoyorozu turned to Mineta. "We don't have much time. If you don't want to be the target, I'll go against Kaminari, but you'll need to make it to the missile quickly. Can you do that?"

Mineta glanced back at Daichi, meeting his wholly tinted glasses, before looking back to Momo. "I'll do it, on one condition – two, actually."

"No –"

"But I haven't even –"

"No." She cuts off, shooting a fierce, dark look. Daichi took a hesitant step between them to look down at Mineta. "Before we go, Mineta, I need one more thing."

"What more could you ask for?" He muttered darkly, shooting Daichi a glare as if he caused Momo to turn against the shorter, grape-like boy.

"I need your balls."

"Heard that before,"

"Two on my arms, two on my feet, I'm scaling the wall, it's the only way to get in without following you two. We need to be separate,"

Mineta nearly blew a fuse, "You're scaling the wall?! Do you want to die?"

"I want to succeed," Daichi responded calmly, not worried. "If you can control how cohesive your balls are, then make them strong enough to stick, but weak enough to detach with a pull. I'll be fine. I promise." Daichi assured, sending a reassuring smile, even though his mask hid almost everything.

Mineta shook his head in disbelief before popping two off his head, to which Daichi held out his fisted hands and gestured to the space beneath his fist, on the side of his forearms. Daichi turned towards the wall, and attached his two forearms, before lifting his feet and nodding to the tips, which Mineta obliged.

"Best of luck. In case of emergencies, try your best, but don't injure yourself beyond recovery. Your journey as heroes just started." Daichi warned to which Mineta started. "What are you, an old man?"

"A caring old man,"

"Whatever."

"We will be. How do we reach each other if we need help?"

It was still for a moment.

"Old Man?" Daichi offered to which both Mineta and Yaoyorozu agreed.

"See you on the other side."

As the horn rang through the open air, starting the match, Daichi quickly found himself leaving his two team members on the ground, as he began ascending the brick walls with a certain degree of ease. Rock-climbing was another club he'd been in time for a time, it had been cut before the end of his seventh-grade, but prior to that, it was a fun addition to his middle school experience.

The form-fitting nature of his suit made it easier, leaving just his weight to carry. There were a few junking rocks, but there was nothing to catch on. Climbing between the open space between windows, Daichi began to glance over through the window to catch sight of the floor number, but there were none that he could see, so he began to round the corner and cross the next wall horizontally.

The balls were a bit tough to pull off the surface, but not impossible. It kept him grounded. The only sound being the adhesive pop of glue from brick. Along this southern wall, there were entrances to offices, a few closets, but nothing more. Rounding the next wall, while still staying away from open window visibility, Daichi carefully peaked in. He was on the third floor. There looked like a total of seven, so he was a little to close to the ground, but another floor would do. Next would be finding Kirishima.

His steps would be loud, since he would be a harder material. That gave Daichi the advantage. His mask was slanted, since the material came from the clasp of his goggles, leaving his ears open for full use. In the future, Daichi would love to mechanize his suit, giving him A.I. abilities, like scanning ahead, facial recognition, sound amplifying and identifying. It'd help him tons.

Turning vertically, Daichi rose one more level, before choosing the left-most window. Hoisting himself right below the edge, Daichi looked in. No site of the fiery-head of a boy, Daichi reached to turn the window clasp.

It didn't move.

Daichi grabbed it completely and wrenched to the side. It still didn't move.

It looked old, so he couldn't be too disappointed. He needed to adjust for basic, building security anyway. He thought about climbing down, finding one of the two and getting them to open the window but that'd be too much. He needed to break the clasp or the window. Quickly.

Going horizontal once more, Daichi rose his right foot, bent it at the knee, and pointed his heel at the clasp, before shooting his heel out and shooting the clasp to the side. Problem was, it was _loud._

Yes, it was outside the building, but in a pin silent building, it was practically an alarm.

Moving himself to the left edge of the window, closest to the edge, Daichi kept his ear close to the window, where he lifted it slightly, letting him hear in.

The hallways were relatively small, since the building was really just a tall square, with the middle block being offices and other rooms. This only left the external parameter for walking around with the stairway on the other horizontal end of Daichi's position. It probably took a while to walk through it all and do a decent walkthrough, but also, Kirishima had three people to find, most likely near the bottom.

It shouldn't take too long.

Daichi thought about going to the top, seeing if he had been wrong and if they'd both been on the defense, when suddenly, Daichi heard loud, fast footsteps coming his way. "Looks like I found your hiding spot, buddy! You shouldn't have left the window open!" Daichi gripped the ends of the window, preparing to swing in when he heard the loud crash of a door and the immediate outtake of dust going through the window.

Daichi peaked in – Kirishima had run full-force into the room. Kirishima was wrong, and his back was open. Throwing open the window, without waiting, Daichi launched himself in and fell into a crouch in the crowd of dust. Kirishima grumbled and sauntered out of the room, with his arms entirely hardened. Daichi just barely had time to fall back on his palms, as he kick-swept Kirishima's legs out from under him, before sending Kirishima caught site of Daichi in front of him.

Kirishima fell with a grunt, caught himself on his back arms. Daichi didn't wait for the boy to rise, as he kicked off the wall with his left heel before sending the right into the boy's chest. What the boy didn't account for was Kirishima's arm grabbing his leg.

"Where do you think you're going, Daichi? You thought you could fight me alone?" Kirishima rose, as he began pulling Daichi back. While the boy was stronger, Daichi was faster, so the navy-haired boy shot his foot up, into a hard upper-deck, but this connected Kirishima to Daichi's ball.

Using the momentum of Kirishima's fall, Daichi spun on his arms before launching Kirishima over his own frame and down the wall, a few feet away. The boy detached with a pop, letting Daichi land back on his feet after the flip.

Sinking back into a waiting pose, Daichi cracked his neck lighter as he held two fists. "Pride can be your downfall, Kirishima," Daichi responded, openly, as Kirishima rose to his feet and wiped away a trickle of spit from the corner of his mouth before taking off towards Daichi with a hardened torso, and two large fists.

His face, neck, lower abdomen, and legs were open. He would be expecting a trip, and a strike to the face would be caught again. So, he needed to strike the neck or abdomen. The neck would be easier to reach, and it was sensitive enough to throw off Kirishima.

With that, Daichi took a hard turn from his left foot as Kirishima reached his end of the hallway and throw a punch, to which Daichi shot a pointed hand into the side of the boy's neck, causing a gurgle. Not waiting, Daichi kicked the side of the boy's leg, before turning to deliver a full strike into the front of the boy's windpipe, only to be blown away with a full punch to the gut.

Along with a storm of red, hot pain.

Daichi felt his lunch rise in his stomach, as he hit the wall, before narrowly missing a second punch to the right of his head. Kneeling below Kirishima, Daichi threw a punch to Kirishima's lower gut, which only connected for a moment before Kirishima caught his fit and pulled him up tightly.

"I'm ending this now. But you fought bravely. It was very manly of you!" He announced as he used his other hand to clasp Daichi's neck before swinging the boy around, intending to throw him against the corner of the wall, knocking him unconscious.

At that moment, Daichi recognized three things. One, they were on the opposite end of the hallway, now facing the west. Two, Kirishima's abdomen was open. He had unhardened it to completely harden his arms. Three, there was a window behind Kirishima.

Using the swing to throw both of his legs into a wide kick into Kirishima's gut, Daichi caught hold of Kirishima's shoulder cuffs as the boy let go in the gasp, before pulling them both into another full spin and throwing them both through the deadlocked window.

Free-falling with a shocked, silent screaming Kirishima, Daichi tightly gripped Kirishima's shoulder, meeting his eyes, as Kirishima hit the ground, before Daichi curled into a tuck and roll, coming to a skidding stop.

The fall, thankfully, was mainly absorbed by the hardened portion of Kirishima's back. So he wouldn't suffer beyond a headache and some bruises. But ultimately, Kirishima was knocked out. Daichi had succeeded. Rising to his feet, with his throat hurt and his stomach still gurgling, Daichi took a moment to take a deep breath before suddenly his vision was covered in thick bands of electricity, everything every inch of the building.

Daichi and the unconscious Kirishima was both thankfully not touching the building, but the same couldn't be said for his two teammates. Preparing to take a running launch at the building to reach the top floor, Daichi had nearly taken off until a loud rumble filled the air and suddenly, the top floor's western wall was blown out, as Momo stood holding the rocket with two silver gloves, while Mineta sat on top of it.

"IT WORKED! YOUR PLAN WORKED! MY BALLS SAVED ME!"

Then came the loud voice, across the field.

" **Winner: Heroes!"**


End file.
